Door holder



May 8, 1956 Filed Aug. 17, 1955 fit. X.7

D. H. ELLIS DOOR HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet l 38 JNVENTOR: BYDAVID H. ELLIS D. H. ELLIS May 8, 1956 DOOR HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 17, 1953 INVENTOR.-

DAVID H. ELLIS BY BYZ WML? AT T' Ys United States Patent DOOR HOLDER David H. Ellis, Chicago, lll., assignor to The Oscar C. Rixson Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application August 17, 1953, Serial No. 374,726

Claims. (Cl. 292-278) This invention relates to door holders of the general type adapted for mounting at the top of the door and by improved form of door holder capable of holding the door in several selective positions, and having improved mechanism that is silent in operation and suitable for use in hospitals where the slightest sound might be disturbing; and to provide improved structure of parts thereof for increasing the eiciency and useful life thereof, with complete freedom from attention for maintenance.

This invention is a specific improvement on door holding mechanism of the general form disclosed in the Patent No. 2,277,316 to F. C. Garrison of March 2,4, 1942.

A specific embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective View of a door and frame equipped with a holding ydevice constructed according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan, showing the door holder with its parts in the position corresponding to a 90 open position of the door.

Fig, 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the mounting of latching pawl, and its relation to the stop with which it cooperates, and to the guide that directs the pawl into holding engagement with the stop.

Fig. 4 is a top plan of the door holder with the holding pawl in an intermediate position thereon.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same with parts broken away.

Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive are enlarged detailed views showing the pawl in Various positions in relation to stop shoulders on the frame.

Fig. 11 is a transverse section taken on the line 11--11 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 12 is a similar section on the line 12-12 of Fig. 4.

In the form shown in the drawings, the door holder comprises a door member 10, which is mortised into the upper edge of the door 11 and which is equipped with hinge parts 12 and 13, and a frame member 15 that is mortised into the lintel portion of the door frame 14.

The door member 10 is an elongated rail of channelshaped cross section which forms an upwardly open groove or guideway for a slide block 16, which is a carrier for a holding pawl. This block 16 is preferably made of self-lubricating bronze and its cross sectional form, as shown in Fig. 11, is of inverted channel-shape, providing runners 17 that slide along the way formed by the rail 10. These runners 17 are offset outwardly from the body of the block 16 and held against upward displacement by the inwardly directed flanges 18 on the tops of the side walls of the member 10.

A longitudinal channel 19 in the bottom of the slide block 16 straddles a channel bar 20 that is secured to the bottom of the member 10. The bar 20 is secured along the center line of the bosom of the member 10 by rivets Mice 20.1. For lightness portions of the base web of the bar 20 are cut away between the cross strips through which the rivets 20.1 extend, leaving upstanding rails 21 that provide support for transversely extending pins 22 located at selected positions along the member 10 for engaging a pawl carried by the4 slide block 16 for holding the door open at certain predetermined angles with respect to the door frame. The form and function of this pawl will be hereinafter described. j

The slide block 16 is connected to the frame member 15 by means of an operating arm` in the form of a link 23 having a pivotal connection 24 with the frame member 15 and a pivotal connection 2S with the slide block 16. These pivotal connections are in the form of ball joints as indicated at 25.1 in Fig. 11 to allow for mounting misalignment.

A free swinging pendant pawl 26 hangs into the bosom of the channel bar 20 in position to engage the stop pins 22. The pawl 26 is pivotally suspended from the slide block 16 by a pivot pin 27, carried by a spring arm 28 which is part of a three-leaf spring clamped to the top of the slide block 16 by means of a block 29 and screw 30.

The spring leaf 28 is bifurcated, as shown in Figs. 3 andA 4, to forml a pair of arms that are curled to form bearings 31 for the pivot pin 27 on which the pawl 26 is mounted. The leaf spring 28 is reinforced by leaves 32 and 33 which are likewise bifurcated with a central longitudinal slot 34 which provides clearance for the free movement of the pawl 26.

A- pin 35, driven into a'hole in the slide block 16, at the narrow inner end of the tapered slot 34 coacts with the screw 30 to keep the leaf springs properly alined with each other and with the guideway member 10. The bifurcated arms of the leaf 32 are extended beyond the pivot 27 to form stop shoulders 36 above laterally projecting lugs 37 on the pawl to limit the upward throw of the pawl. The lugs 37 on the pawl 26 also have the function of controlling the disposition of the pawl with respect to the stop pins 22. For this purpose pairs of spaced guide plates 38 are attached to the side flanges 21 of the inner channel bar 20 adjacent to each stop pin 22 on the side thereof that faces toward the hinges. The lugs 37 on opposite sides of the pawl 26 extend outward a sucient distance to ride upon the guides 38 but terminate inward of the flanges 21 of the bar 20. Thus, the pawl 26 is free to hang vertically and to swing forward or backward without obstruction at all times except when the lugs 37 are riding on the guides 38. In order that the pawl 26 may be free to swing forward and back beyond its vertical position and require a minimum of space for the operation of the slide 16 and its connected mechanism, the bottom web of the channel bar 20 is cut away along the path of the pawl, as indicated at 42 in Fig. 4, leaving cross connections 43 between the rails 21 of that bar only in the vicinity of the guides 38 and at the ends of the bar for connecting the rails rigidly together and for fastening the bar 20 to the channel member 10. On the. opening movement of the door, the guides 38 position the pawl for holding engagement with the respective stop if the movement of the door is reversed while the lugs are lon the guides.

The operation ofthe device shown is as follows:

Experience has shown that three stop pins 22f'a11e su'icient for most practical needs, one being located for holding the door at an opening of and the other two being at selected intermediate positions.

From the drawings, it will be noted that the pawl 26 is free to swing and ride over the stop pins 22 without obstructing the movement of the door in either direction, except at times when the opening movement of the door is stopped and reversed while the lugs 37 of the pawl are riding on the guides 38. As the door opens, the link 23 causes the slide 16 to move toward the hinged end of the door member 10, as shown by the arrow 39 in Fig. 7. If at such time the movement of the door is reversed, as indicated by the arrow 40 of Fig. 6, then the pawl 26 will abut the stop pin 22 and hold the door against further closing movement. For this purpose the stop engaging end of the pawl 26 is notched at 41 to lit about and partly embrace the pin 22 with sutiicient resistance to stop the movement of the door against the pull of ordinary doorclosing devices or springs.

If, however, a person applies slight amount of pressure to the door to move it toward its closed position, the spring mounting of the pawl will yield and allow the pawl to pivot on the stop pin and ride over the stop pin 22, as shown in Fig. 9.

In Fig. l() the position of the pawl in riding over the guide members 38 during the closing movement of the door is indicated.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the structure shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a door holder, a rail of channel-bar shape, a channel-like inner bar extending along the bosom of said rail and spaced from the side flanges thereof, said inner bar having upstanding side walls, a block slidable along said rail over said inner bar, a leaf spring secured at one end to said block and having a free end overlying said inner bar, a pendant pawl pivotally mounted on a transverse axis at the free end of said leaf spring and hanging freely into the bosom of said inner bar, a transverse stop pin carried by said inner bar in the path of said pawl,

said pawl having a notch at its free end adapted to partly embrace said stop pin, a laterally projecting lug on said pawl, and a guide member located adjacent said stop pin at one side of the path of said pawl in position to engage said lug when the pawl is moving in one direction and hold said pawl in tilted position for engaging said stop pin in said notch upon reversal of direction of pawl movement, said guide member projecting a predetermined distance beyond one side of said stop piu in said one direction of movement and terminating in a downwardly sloping top edge surface at the end remote from said stop pin for disengaging from said lug and allowing said pawl to hang free when said lug is moved beyond said guide, said sloping guide edge being adapted to engage said lug and lift said pawl to an oppositely tilted position when said pawl is moved in an opposite direction from the free hanging position.

2. In a device of the class described, a slide block movable endwise along a predetermined path, a multiple leaf spring secured to said block and extending longitudinally thereof above and beyond one end thereof, said spring being bifurcated at its free end, a pendant pawl suspended pivotally between the bifurcations of the lower leaf of said spring, said pawl having a notch at its free end for embracing engagement with a cylindrical stop element disposed across the path of said block and having a pair of laterally aligned lugs located between said notch and said spring, and a pair of laterally disposed cams mounted along the path of said block for engaging said lugs to swing said pawl about its pivotal axis, a second leaf of said spring having its bifurcated ends extended to overhang said lugs and limit the upward swing of said pawl.

3. In a device of the class described, an upwardly open channel bar, a slide block mounted to travel along and within the channel of `said bar, said slide block having a groove in its bottom extending lengthwise thereof, a second bar having parallel spaced side rails secured to the web of said first-named channel bar and extending lengthwise thereof through the groove in said slide block, a leaf spring secured to said block and extending longitudinally above said rails above and beyond one end of said block, a pendant pawl pivotally suspended on the free end of said leaf spring, a stop pin extending crosswise between said side rails across the path of said pawl, said pawl having its free end notched to engage said pin, a pair of alined lugs projecting from opposite sides of said pawl between its notched end and its pivotal axis, a pair of stationary cam tracks at respectively opposite sides of the path of said pawl adjacent to said stop pin and adapted to be engaged by said lugs to guide said pawl into and out of engagement with said stop pin.

4. In a device of the class described, an upwardly open channel bar, a slide block mounted to travel along and within the channel of said bar, said slide block having a groove in its bottom extending lengthwise thereof, a second bar having parallel spaced side rails secured to the web of said first-named channel bar and extending lengthwise thereof through the groove in said slide block, a leaf spring secured to said block and extending longitudinally above said rails above and beyond one end of said block, a pendant pawl pivotally suspended on the free end of said leaf spring, a stop pin extending crosswise between said side rails across the path of said pawl, said pawl having its free end notched to engage said pin, a lug projecting laterally from one side of said pawl between its notched end and its pivotal axis, a stationary cam track at the side of the path of said pawl adjacent to said stop pin and positioned to be engaged by said lug to guide Said pawl into and out of engagement with said stop pin.

5. In a device of the class described, an upwardly open channel bar having a bottom web, a second upwardly open channel bar mounted within and on the bottom web of said first-named channel bar and having side rails spaced from the sides thereof, a slider block mounted to travel lengthwise within the rst-named bar and straddling the second, a multiple leaf spring secured to said block and extending longitudinally thereof above and beyond one end thereof, said spring being bifurcated at its free end, a pendant pawl suspended pivotally and swingably between the bifurcations of the lower leaf of said spring, said pawl having a longitudinally directed notch at its free end and having a pair of laterally projecting alined lugs located between said notch and the pivot connection with said spring, a second leaf of said spring having its bifurcated ends extended to overhang said lugs to limit the upward swing of said pawl, a stop pin extending crosswise between said side rails across the path of said pawl, a pair of stationary cam tracks at respectively opposite sides of the path of said pawl adjacent to said stop pin and positioned to be engaged by said lugs to guide the notched end of said pawl into and out of engagement with said stop pin.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

